We Tested the 2024 Infiniti QX50 and There’s Room for Improvement
Infiniti’s entry-level SUV stacks up on paper, but other small premium crossovers are better.
Pros
- Reasonable performance and pricing
- Premium design and materials
- Smooth brake feel
Cons
- Outdated infotainment system
- Strange powertrain
- Not the best vehicle on which to spend your money
When it comes down to it, the 2024 Infiniti QX50 suffices as a luxury compact SUV. It looks nice, is reasonably versatile, and goes down the road easily enough.
0:00 / 0:00
With that out of the way, a recent re-test revealed how the QX50 isn’t anywhere close to escaping its standing near the bottom of MotorTrend’s luxury compact SUV rankings. Infiniti’s entry-level crossover is affected by much of the same mediocrity as the 2019 model we kept for a year in our long-term review fleet. We couldn’t recommend the QX50 over its competitors then, and we can’t now. As before, it’s not the case that the QX50 is particularly bad—rather, it’s that every similarly sized and priced SUV is better.
It’s the Same Story
Infiniti introduced this generation of QX50 for 2019 sporting sculpted, sophisticated styling that stands up well to the test of time. But its engine is the main talking point. Patent-protected by Infiniti and parent company Nissan, this so-called VC-Turbo system purports to improve power and fuel efficiency by altering its compression ratio in accordance with conditions. In the 2024 Infiniti QX50, VC-Turbo is applied to a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 that produces 268 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. That’s sent through a CVT automatic to standard front-wheel drive or, as was the case with our loaded Autograph trim tester, available all-wheel drive.
We measured a 6.9-second 0–60-mph time from this QX50, slightly slower than what we recorded with various 2019 models. Likewise, those older equivalents crossed the quarter mile a bit ahead of the newer QX50’s 15.4-second, 91.6-mph run. Those 2019 QX50 times are better aligned with other rival I-4-powered SUVs in the segment, which tend to be a few tenths of a second quicker. For example, a BMW X3 xDrive30i did the 0–60-mph sprint in 6.4 seconds, and a Lincoln Corsair in 6.6 seconds.
What numbers don’t illustrate is how this VC-Turbo powertrain feels. Variable compression ratios conspire with variable gear ratios to deliver power in a surging, lumpy way. That’s not often evident if you’re gentle on the throttle and keep the tachometer below about 3,000 rpm. The trade-off there is that the QX50 only feels quick when you step on it, and only after the powertrain sorts through all its wavering parameters to eventually deliver the acceleration you want. It’s quite clear why no other automaker uses an engine like this.
Despite what Infiniti claims about the VC-Turbo, it doesn’t seem to do much for fuel economy. The QX50 AWD is EPA-rated at an unremarkable 22/28 mpg city/highway. Hybrid SUVs are much more efficient, to say nothing of EVs.
Like its acceleration, this 2024 Infiniti QX50’s 60–0-mph stopping performance is merely acceptable for the segment. Its 127 feet is on the long side compared to its 2019 results and newer rivals. An Acura RDX needed 123 feet and a Genesis GV70 122 feet, while the X3 halted in 109 feet. Again, numbers don’t show how the braking feels, but the QX50’s brake pedal is lightweight and progressive, allowing for gradual, smooth stops with little effort.
A figure-eight lap of 27.1 seconds at 0.63 g (average) and skidpad grip of 0.81 g (average) are results comparable to those of the Lexus NX, Acura RDX, and Cadillac XT4. Handling skews toward ease rather than engagement. Relaxed steering lets you simply point the QX50 in the right direction but imparts little connection between your hands and the front tires. Infiniti could’ve tuned the suspension to be plusher and more absorbent to advance the QX50’s unhurried demeanor. The ride is comfortable enough but transmits some road impacts abruptly; other vehicles in the class have better body isolation.
Stylish Inside but Behind the Times
The QX50’s interior has always stood out, not necessarily for good reasons. To the positive, it’s good-looking, with trim panels placed prominently and interesting contrast stitching curving across the dashboard. Materials feel premium, not palatial; the tight-tolerance construction seen in some luxury SUVs isn’t present. Appreciably, there’s little reduction in quality in the second-row seats compared to those up front. Like in our 2019 long-termer, this 2024 QX50 Autograph test vehicle was equipped with a gorgeous tri-tone interior colorway combining brown, blue, and off-white leather. And like in our long-term test model, the silvery wood trim panels showed an inexplicable slight color mismatch between the dashboard and the doors.
In terms of tech and infotainment, the 2024 Infiniti QX50’s dual-display user interface seemed outdated in 2019 and remains so to an indefensible extent. The screens are small by today’s standards; nor is either of them quick to react or loaded with appealing graphics. Pixel resolution is low, and the backup-camera quality is even lower. Complicating ease of use is how the system can be controlled by touching the screens or by pressing buttons next to the screens, or on the steering wheel, or, finally, a rotary dial on the center console. Like with the engine, rival automakers’ infotainment equivalents succeed with simplicity.
In Need of Redeeming Factors
Infiniti equips the QX50 with many driver assist and active safety features, some of which are useful in easing highway driving. The lane keeping assist does a fine job of centering the vehicle between the lines but needs vigorous shakes on the steering wheel to reassure it you’re keeping your hands where they should be, unlike the light-touch or capacitive sensors that suffice for rival SUVs. It’s to the point where steering by yourself makes as much sense as using the system to help.
Not much about the QX50 has changed over its production run, so neither has our opinion. Yet despite the foibles mentioned above, we still wouldn’t deem the QX50 as an inherently bad SUV. None of those idiosyncrasies are dire enough to ruin Infiniti’s effort. The QX50 checks enough boxes to at least qualify for consideration among luxury compact SUVs.
Problems arise when you consider it against other luxury compact SUVs. If the 2024 Infiniti QX50 aggressively undercuts those vehicles with its pricing, it might make more sense, but it doesn’t. Starting at $42,350 in its basic specification and rising to about $62,000 for our well-equipped Autograph example, it overlaps with options from Japan, Korea, Germany, and the U.S.
Indeed, even though the QX50’s test results are close to those of its rivals, the other vehicles are much more convincing as legitimate luxury crossovers. It all comes down to how they feel, brought on by better materials, more impressive tech, a higher degree of driving refinement—or all that, and more.
Alex's earliest memory is of a teal 1993 Ford Aspire, the car that sparked his automotive obsession. He's never driven that tiny hatchback—at six feet, 10 inches tall, he likely wouldn't fit—but has assessed hundreds of other vehicles, sharing his insights on MotorTrend as a writer and video host.
Read More
